SAV Systems, in conjunction with its Danish partner Airmaster, is proud to announce that the Airmaster AM 1000 has been awarded Passivhaus Component certification.
The AM 1000 is the first decentralised, duct-free, mechanical ventilation unit with heat recovery (MVHR) on the market to be awarded the certification. It enables the unit to be used in Passivhaus school buildings.
The company’s time working with the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) inspired SAV Systems to seek Passivhaus certification.
CEC has set ambitious targets to achieve net zero by 2035, leading the council to apply Passivhaus design principles to all new schools. The core philosophy of Passivhaus design is to create a comfortable and energy-efficient building, raising the standard of the buildings to which it is applied.
Ventilation plays a crucial part in two requirements of passive house standards: airtightness and space heating demand. Openings in buildings, such as windows and porous building materials, can allow heat to escape, wasting the energy generated.
Passivhaus buildings have high airtightness and low heat loss. However, by increasing the airtightness of a building to conserve energy, indoor air quality can suffer, so a mechanical ventilation solution is needed to manage indoor air quality without wasting energy.
There are a range of approved MVHR solutions available under the Passivhaus framework. Many are centralised systems, which normally have high specific fan powers.
Airmasters are decentralised and air distribution is duct free, so fan power is kept to a minimum. A typical classroom installation requires one Airmaster AM 1000 per room, with intake and exhaust connections to the outside.
The AM 1000 can recover up to 90% of a room’s heat using an aluminium heat exchanger, reducing the building’s heat load and heat loss.
The certification of the AM 1000 makes available an innovative ventilation strategy that can improve indoor air quality without sacrificing thermal comfort. With growing pressure on buildings to become energy efficient and comfortable, decentralised MVHR such as Airmaster should play a vital role in the solution.
■ For more information on AirMaster SMVs, contact the education team at education@sav-systems.com or visit www.sav-systems.com